Thoughts of Being Greater Have Fallen Short
by planetofmars
Summary: Steve gets into work one morning, and finds that his boss has left him a very urgent voice mail, and not one he expects.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Thoughts of Being Greater Have Fallen Short  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Steve/Tony.

**Summary:** Steve gets into work one morning, and finds that his boss has left him a very urgent voice mail, and not one he expects.  
><strong>Universe:<strong> AU.  
><strong>Rating:<strong> NC-17.  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>The destruction of the Marvel time line, I would say.

**Thoughts of Being Greater Have Fallen Short**

**Part I**

The sun sits high in the air as Steve makes his way down the hall, dress shoes clicking uncomfortably along the way. Steve had always been a casual guy, he hadn't really known anything other_ then_ casual, but that had all changed, however, the day he went to work for Stark Industries. Steve passes Cheryl's desk, nodding in her wake and saying a quick hello as he punches in his code. What had possessed him to apply for the position as Tony Stark's personal assistant, he'll never know, but he hadn't really expected to get the job. While Steve was tall, blonde and had dazzling blue eyes, he was most certainly not a woman.

The reasoning behind Tony hiring him had never been discussed, and Steve hadn't ask. Steve had only wanted to try something different, do something other then he had, and Tony Stark was definitely something different. Steve opens the blinds adjacent from his desk, allowing the natural light to display around the room, he tried to do most of his work under this condition, artificial lighting hurt his eyes. Steve sets down the latest file, and notices that his office phone shows that a new message is waiting for him. Steve's brows furrow, the only person who called him on his office phone tended to be Tony, and it was certainly much too early in the day for him to have called, let alone leave a message.

Steve tugs at the cuff of his suit, a habit he had picked up, as he peers down at the phone. Steve, against his better judgement, presses play. Tony's urgent voice coming through the speaker. "Steve, listen, I'm in Vegas. The strippers, look, the strippers they stole all of my money...and clothes, and okay, they stole just about everything except the family jewels. I'm held up at the Bellagio, and need you to do something very important." Steve frowns, startled as Tony's voice continues. "Don't look like that! I can't tell Pepper, okay, so just listen. You tell Jarvis to allow you into my vault, there's a brief case down there, a very important brief case, and I need you to bring it to me, okay? Also, grab the Armani suit, the gray one with the pinstripes...and some underwear while your at it, or not, I don't care, just get here, and _call_ me!"

Steve stood, unsure what to do. Vegas, really? Steve stares down at his ridiculously expensive suit, the one Tony had tailored for him. Steve pulls out his cell phone, the damn thing was complicated to work, and Tony had since become convinced that Steve was raised Amish, and Steve has never said anything to the contrary. Steve leaves his office, hurrying pass Cheryl, he doesn't even acknowledge the elderly woman as he half walks half runs to the private elevator, punching in yet another code. Once inside, he presses the call button, awaiting Jarvis to answer on the secure line over at Tony's mansion.

He wanted different, he got different.

"Jarvis!"

"Yes, Mr. Rogers?"

"I need the access code to the vault, uh, Tony's gotten himself into another mess."

"Right away, sir."

The elevator dings, and Steve hurries out of it, the damn things had always terrified him. Steve rushes into the customized work shop, phone flipped open as he presses one, Tony having refused to be anything less. "Steve, what took you so long?" Tony's voice blares into his ear drum.

"You didn't give me much notice, Mister Stark. I'm in the shop now, and I've got the case."

"Good, get here as fast as you can. I'm in suite 30056," Tony says before the line goes dead, and Steve lets out a frustrated sigh.

Steve, instead of making a quick exit, goes back to his office, grabbing a case of his own before heading out. Cheryl asks if anything is wrong, and Steve has to bite down the urge to say_ everything_. Instead, he tells the woman with thick framed glasses that he has a important errand to run, and to direct any calls to his voice mail. She nods, not giving it a second thought. Steve can't remember how many times she has referred to him as a good boy, her words not his. Steve shakes his head as he enters the public elevator everyone else uses, if only she knew.

The doors are almost completely shut when a foot dressed in a black six inch heel stops them in their tracks. Steve grimaces, he was hoping Pepper wouldn't have caught wind of him just yet. He smiles at her, but she doesn't look amused. "What has he done now?"

"I'm going to Vegas...strippers they, um, they _stole_ everything."

Pepper's head tilts up, a sigh pursing through her lips. "Find him, and then kick his ass. I'm serious, and if he wants to fire you, tell him it was a direct order from me," she says as the elevator dings, and she practically shoves him out.

"Okay," Steve says, because well, he doesn't know what else to say.

:::

Steve was well prepared to take a plane out to Vegas, but Tony had called to make sure he took the jet, and what Tony wanted, he got. Steve sits in the overpriced means of transportation, attempting to relax, but finding it rather difficult. Why would Tony need this specific brief case, why was it at Stark Industries, for that matter? Steve tosses his head back, sighing as he rubbed his fingers along his temples, it didn't matter. Tony did a lot of things that didn't make sense to anyone but himself, and besides, Steve figures, everyone had their fair share of secrets—he knew he sure did.

The jet lands some odd five hours later, and Steve does his best to remember the difference in time zones. He hails down a cab, and heads directly towards the Bellagio, making sure he has everything he needs. The moment Steve announces he is there for Mister Stark, a odd chill runs down along his spine, and he has to do his best to ignore the gut feeling he gets in response. Steve smiles at the receptionist, her red hair curling near her chin, she smiles in return, but it almost appears forced. Steve doesn't waste anymore of her time, he figures she is just having a off day.

Steve gets into the elevator, upset that this is the fourth time in one day that he has to use one. Steve presses the button that will take him to the top, closing his eyes and cringing as the numbers creep higher and higher. If there was anyone Steve disliked more then Tony Stark right now, he couldn't think of them. The elevator comes to a jolting halt, and Steve can feel his stomach drop as the doors open, and he steps out. Steve feels as though he is going around in circles, no matter how hard he searches, he cannot seem to find suite 30056.

30050, 30052, 30054, but no 30056. Steve pauses mid-step, one hand on his hip and two heavy brief cases in the other, what the hell was going on? Steve doesn't have very long to ponder the answer to that question as two large hands grip his shoulders, tossing him onto the ground. Steve lands on his back with a thud out of pure surprise, ears ringing as he makes out a blurred male figure above him. "I'll be taking that," the man announces, reaching for Tony's brief case.

"Are you trying me to get me fired?" Steve questions, kicking the man hard in the shin. Steve takes both cases into his hand, using them to hit his attacker across the back of the head. A gunshot rocks him, and as he runs he nearly trips, turning down the hall, he collides face to face with a very naked Tony Stark.

"Steve, where the hell have you been?" Tony yells.

"Me? Where the hell is 30056?" Steve yells right back, standing to his feet, and ducking behind a large food cart that had been abandoned as another shot rings out.

"Natasha, relax on the gun fire, will you?" Steve hears the man who attacked him just seconds ago say. "Were suppose to be discreet, remember?"

"And how's that working out for you?" A woman's voice replies, and Steve notices she sounds a awful lot like the unpleasant receptionist he had encountered upon entering.

"Who are they?" Steve whispers, and Tony doesn't acknowledge him as he looks around.

"My room. My room is missing," he says, baffled.

"Yes, I know! Who are they?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D," Tony admits, and Steve's neck almost snaps as he turns around to look at the man he works for, quickly looking away again with a hint of a blush as he remembers that Tony is completely naked.

"What does S.H.I.E.L.D want with you?" Steve inquires, trying to keep quiet as the two agents argue amongst themselves.

"I know I came from somewhere around..._there_. Oh, I see, come on," Tony urges, completely disregarding Steve's question, if he even heard it. Tony had a real knack for not listening.

Steve feels awkward running behind his naked boss, bare ass in plain view, but quickly decides that his life is so much more important then him being some sort of prude. Tony stops in front of a sign titled 'Janitors Closet', and Steve is briefly confused as Tony turns the knob, unveiling a embellished suite.

"If this is where the janitor stays, I can only imagine what your room must look like," Steve jests, but Tony merely glares at him.

"Did you bring my clothes?" he asks, and Steve has to roll his eyes, because _of course_ he did.

"You didn't say why S.H.I.E.L.D is after you," Steve brings up once Tony has returned from the bathroom, fully clothed. Steve isn't sure how much good the two dressers and bed frame were going to do them, but it gave them just enough time to half-ass some sort of escape plan.

"That, my friend, is why," Tony responds, pointing towards the brief case Steve had trudged all the way from New York.

Steve had figured as much. "What's in it?"

"That is something I hope you never find out," Tony says, and Steve frowns. How was he suppose to know what side Tony was on if he couldn't get the other man to give him a straight answer?

Steve shakes his head, slightly annoyed. "How do you plan to get us out of here?" he questions, waving his hand around in the air.

"How am _I _suppose to get us out of here?"

"Yes, _you_. You're the one that got us into this mess. They're going to find us eventually, Mister Stark."

"They already _know_ where we are, Steve, they're just trying to figure out _how_ to go about capturing me..._us_," and Tony's face falls at his correction, and Steve can't quite place the look on his face.

Tony is silent for a moment, but sighs wearily. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"No, really, can you? If you can't, I have this device, you see..."

"Jesus, Tony, yes," Steve says, and he mentally reprimands himself for calling Tony by his first name out loud, but the other man doesn't seemed bothered.

Tony walks cautiously over to the case, almost as if he distrusts the thing, or Steve, but either way, Steve can't help but to stare in complete awe as Tony Stark, his boss, is shrouded in armor. Tony Stark is Iron Man. Steve swallows hard, attempting to wrap his head around this information. Pepper had not mentioned that little fact. "You look weird like that. Stop doing that thing with your face," Tony commands, and Steve does stop, but only to replace the odd look with a angry expression.

"She did _not_ tell me you were Iron Man," Steve bites, and he was going to have a very long, detailed, talk with a Miss Potts as soon as he got back to New York.

"What? Where are you going?" Tony shouts as Steve leaves to the rest room, his own case in tow.

A white star stands out amongst the blue of his costume, and Steve sighs, he thought he would never have to be _this_ person again, but apparently that just wasn't the case. When Steve reappears, any semblance of well practiced awkwardness is erased, and he stands in the middle of the room as the American hero he is. While he can't see Tony's expression, the lack of movement is proof enough of his surprise. "You're Captain America," he says, voice filtered by his suit of armor.

"Yes, I am."

"Tony...we've waited long enough, and if you don't open this door and surrender, you know Natasha is just going to get more and more impatient until she can't control herself." The agent warns.

Tony's faceplate opens as he moves closer towards the door. "Shut up you purple wearing cross dresser, you told me I had pretty eyes."

Steve raises a brow, unseen by his cowl. "He was the stripper?"

"Are you really that surprised?"

Steve shakes his head. "No."

Tony shuts his faceplate, and Steve readies himself for a onslaught of S.H.I.E.L.D agents, but a loud explosion throws the both of them through and out of the adjacent window. Steve absolutely hates the feeling of falling, and he closes his eyes, knowing he is mere seconds away from hitting the ground. Steve, however, never collides with the unforgiving concrete beneath him. Instead, his arm is yanked above his head as Tony keeps a vice-like grip on his wrist. Steve's heart is racing, but he smiles confidently at the other hero, glad to know that Tony won't allow him to die. "Thanks," Steve says appreciatively.

"Don't mention it," Tony says, hoisting Steve higher. Steve's foot rests atop of his as Tony's arm wraps securely around the mid of his waist. "That wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I figured as much," Steve responds, and they don't have to wait very long as another explosion sounds off, and a metallic figure appears.

"How many of them are there?" Tony questions as they both peer at Ultron in his latest form.

Steve doesn't care about that right now, all he knows is that innocent people were in trouble, and it was his job to protect them to the best of his abilities. Through the gaping hole in the building, Steve can make out one of the two agents that had been after both he and Tony. "I'm useless up here, grab him, and I'll take over down there," Steve says, and it's a command, leaving absolutely no room for Tony to argue.

"So you don't want to talk about the time you kissed me, then?" Tony inquires as they move quickly through the air, dodging concussion blasters along the way. "Not really, no."

"Later, then."

"You, Purple Stardust, the man with the pasties, hop on!" Tony shouts, and Steve can't help but to shake his head in dismay, again.

"The name's Hawkeye, Tin Man," he shouts, bow in hand as he stares sceptically at the both of them.

"We're not the bad guys here," Steve reassures him, offering the man in purple a hand.

Hawkeye takes it, not seeing any choice, and soon they're all three on the ruined sight of the Bellagio. "We'll cover ground. Hawkeye, you move as many victims out of danger as possible, the same goes for your partner if you can find her. I'll handle the...other Ultron bots?" Steve finishes, a legion of alternate Ultron bodies marching up the street all at once.

"The rest of S.H.I.E.L.D is on their way. I'll take as many as I can, when I can," Hawkeye announces, making a break for it.

"You think you can handle him?"

"I've dealt with him before."

Steve pauses, hesitant. "Be careful, you sign my paycheck."

Tony's head tilts to the side. "As long as you're careful down here, you pick up my dry cleaning."

Steve nods his head, and Tony takes off into the sky. Steve prepares himself, throwing his shield strategically, taking out four bots with a single throw. Their armor is nothing compared to the prime Ultron, made out of steel, they fall quickly, but not without damaging the surrounding area. The Bellagio had taken too much damage, it was minutes away from collapsing, and to make matters worse, people were still trapped inside with no way out. Tony getting thrashed around and hardly able to dodge Ultron's attacks didn't help anything, either.

Steve took out another row of bots before making a dash for the Bellagio, white webbing appearing out of no where, blocking him from entering. "I wouldn't go in there," a voice says, and Steve turns to see Spiderman standing directly behind him.

"I've got the people on the lower level, and the big, thunder guy over there has the top half," he says, and Steve merely backs off, as long as they were taken care of, Steve didn't mind not being wanted.

The Hulk was in the midst of smashing the lesser Ultron bots as Hawkeye and the agent he only knew as Natasha moved all of the injured, destroying enemies as they went. Steve looks to the sky, dismayed to see Tony, once again, on the defensive. There was no way Tony was going to be able to stop him like that. Steve made the decision to run up to the Hulk, the green giant almost smashing him in the process. "I need you to throw me," he says, and at first, the Hulk simply doesn't do anything.

"Listen, fellow, you need to throw me at Ultron!" he commands, and the Hulk pauses briefly before sending Steve through the air like a rag doll.

Steve hopes that if he can't damage Ultron, to at least provide Tony with a bit of a distraction. Steve uses the edge of his shield to strike under the hinge of Ultron's jaw, digging in through a small area that seemed to be less protected by the adamantium. "You fool!" Ultron's mechanical voice shrieks as Steve begins to drop through the sky. Steve knows that Tony won't be able to catch him in time, and he can only hope that the other man will not attempt a rescue while he still has a opportunity to strike. Steve's heart once again drops as he prepares to hit the ground, but it never comes.

Azure eyes open to see a makeshift net stretched between two buildings, keeping him from hitting the pavement. "You need to work on learning how to fly," Spiderman calls out above him before swinging away.

Steve makes a mental note to thank him later as he moves to a group of elderly women, one of them having lost her fanny pack and lucky visor. Steve helps the stubborn trio over to the protective barricades that have been set up. Hawkeye and Natasha having taken over ground control. "Nice hit," Hawkeye comments, standing back to back with Steve as the two battle on.

"It didn't work! Ultron's still functioning," Steve shouts, frustrated and disappointed in himself. Tony's suit of armor couldn't protect him from everything, and Steve knew that.

Steve stops suddenly, prompting Hawkeye to stop as well. "Uh, Earth to Captain, we're in the middle of a fight!" he shouts, firing off a series of arrows.

"Do you think if you got close enough, you could aim one of those things through Ultron's mouth?" he questions. Ultron's inside operating system was notorious for not being as durable as his outside.

"Of course, but I'm not going to have_ him _tossing me around like a stuffed animal," Hawkeye announces, pointing towards the Hulk who appeared to be doing more damage then not.

Steve looks around, eyes settling on the thunderer flying high above them, taking people from the roof safely to the ground. "Thor!" he shouts.

The Asgardian drops down from the sky, mighty Mjölnir at his side. "You have called for me, and I have answered, what need do you have of me?" he questions, face pulled into a soft, almost confused expression.

"I need you to get Hawkeye as close as you can to Ultron, he's keeping this fight air born, and Iron Man can't hold him off forever."

"You wish to be taken to the sky?" Thor questions, attention turning to Hawkeye as the man readies a arrow. "Yeah, that's the plan."

Thor smiles. "Then I shall abide. Quick, hop onto my back!"

"Don't make this anymore awkward then it already is, big guy," he mumbles, doing as told.

"What is he doing?" Natasha shouts, swooping in beside Steve.

"He's gonna try and damage Ultron from the inside, which shouldn't be too hard, the thing likes to hear himself talk," Spiderman informs her, hanging upside down. The ground was clear, but there were S.H.I.E.L.D agents all over the place. Trying to get away unnoticed would be damn near impossible.

"Do you think that's really going to work?" she asks, guns by her side but not holstered.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you sound concerned," Spiderman mentions, and Natasha merely pierces him with a glare.

"I will kill you very, very slowly."

Spiderman immediately stops talking, which was a blessing in and of itself. Steve keeps his eyes trained on the archer moving quickly towards his target with Thor's help. The three watch as Iron Man keeps Ultron distracted as Thor closes in behind him, Hawkeye maneuvering himself onto Thor's shoulders. "It looks like they're playing a game of chicken, if the chicken was a million feet in the air, and no one else was playing," Spiderman mumbles to himself in a half-amused, half-frightened manner. Steve holds his breath as Ultron whips around, Hawkeye shooting just pass the destructive bot. Ultron begins to laugh, but throttles as Hawkeye immediately releases a second arrow straight into his mechanical mouth.

Hawkeye over corrects himself, nearly losing his balance, but Thor is able to keep him from falling. Tony takes the opportunity to put his fist through Ultron's mouth, shoving his hand down his throat, pulling wires and other interior workings out. Ultron defeated, Tony finally comes down from above. Steve notices that even in his armor, Tony appears sluggish. Steve panics, "Come on, we need to get you..."

"Cap, please, I'm fine," Tony says, holding a hand in the air as though that would stop Steve from coming any further.

"_You're_ not fine," Steve argues, and he wishes Tony wouldn't lie so openly to him.

"Did Ultron say why he was attacking?" Spiderman questions, interrupting their blooming argument.

"Pym, he thinks Pym is with you, is he?"

"We haven't seen Pym in months," Natasha informs them all.

"Iron Man, let's go."

"You're both not going anywhere," Fury's voice booms as the man appears out of seemingly no where.

"You don't understand, he's..."

"_Really_ tired of you idiots attempting to get me to join your little band of heroes," Tony cuts in, clutching Steve's wrist in one hand as he angles himself behind him. "Haven't I done enough for your cause?"

Steve gets the hint, putting on a stern face as he begins to speak. "I've expressed my gratitude for you finding me, but I don't work for you," Steve informs him.

:::

Fury goes to threaten them both, but doesn't get the chance as Tony takes off without any warning, Steve in tow. They don't get very far before Tony starts to lose control. "The jet is about two miles south from here," Tony says, and Steve can only hang on.

Steve removes his cowl, blonde hair sticking up in each and every direction, face red with exertion. Steve watches as Tony recharges his heart, looking worse for wear. The situation is as critical as it is troublesome. "This changes everything," Steve says, eyes connecting with Tony's for the first time in two hours.

"Just about," Tony remarks. "I'm guessing Pepper knew you were Captain America."

Steve nods curtly. "She said no one would ever find out as long as I promised to look after you. I'm assuming she knows you're Iron Man, then."

"Yep," Tony says, and he looks tired. The buttons of his shirt are open, arc reactor prominently displayed. Steve doesn't stare blatantly at it, though it's fascinating, he knew just how much the piece of machinery bothered the other man.

Steve feels his face flush, remembering how Iron Man had helped him out as he risked his safety to do simple and not so simple tasks for Tony, falling for the body of armor. Tony was a popular guy, but that didn't mean everyone wanted to shake his hand in gratitude—he had a lot of enemies. Steve also remembers being seduced as Captain America by Tony Stark, never once imaging that his two worlds would collide. This complicated things between them, he knew. Steve had enjoyed being protected by Iron Man, almost as much as he enjoyed guiding Tony as Captain America. Steve's embarrassment is immense as they sit in silence, all too aware of the tension between them.

"Does this mean that we were cheating on each other..._with_ each other?" Tony questions, and Steve's face stiffens.

"I honestly don't know."

"Makes you wonder, huh?"

Steve fidgets, hands in his lap. "No." _Yes_.

:::

"You could have told me," Steve remarks, staring at the slender woman before him.

"Look, Steve, please don't take this personal, but I couldn't tell you. Tony is...strict about the information he releases, and if he had found out that you knew, let's just both say it wouldn't have been pleasant, for either one of us."

"But why black mail me if you _knew_ Tony could take care of himself?" Steve questions, frowning as Pepper tosses her head back and lets out a laugh. That was new.

"Are you kidding me? Tony can't take care of himself. Iron Man might be able to help people, but Tony can't take care of Tony. Tony is the last person he thinks about, and that's why I black mailed you, Steve. I knew if anyone could make Tony see that he wasn't completely worthless, I knew it would have to be someone Tony admires—thinks greatly of. In case you haven't noticed, he has a fondness for you," she says, and Steve disagrees.

"No, not for me, for Captain America."

"You really believe that, Rogers?" Pepper questions, brow quirked. Steve doesn't answer.

:::

Tony's room is large, but nothing of personal interest lines his room other then the technological advances he has made. That has always been something that bothered Steve, it made him wonder why there was no touch of himself in all of his things. Steve is attempting to help Tony decide on a tux for the evenings charity event, one he had to force the other man to agree to. "S.H.I.E.L.D knows I'm here, that I work for you," Steve says, bringing up yesterdays events.

"Then let them know," Tony says, indecisive. "Black or this minx color?"

"They both look black."

"To unimaginative eyes maybe," Tony muses, picking one tux over another pleased, though they both look the same.

"I was thinking, on a serious note, about talking to Fury, seeing what..."

"No. Absolutely not, don't be ridiculous. The _only _thing Fury wants is for us to be his extra special puppets."

"They're not going to leave us alone, don't you get that?"

Tony stops buttoning his dress shirt midway up, obviously frustrated. "So, what? Do you just want to cave into their demands, Steve?"

Steve bites his lip to keep from lashing out. "All I'm saying, is that we worked well together. A group of heroes coming together for a common good."

Tony ignores him, finishing up his buttons and peering at himself in the mirror. "Why don't you come tonight? You never go, and you still have that one tux I got you."

"Why don't you ever stay on topic?"

"Why can't you just drop this?" Tony inquires. "I thought you didn't _want_ to be a super hero anymore. I thought you wanted a_ normal _life."

Steve glares heatedly at him. Anger pouring out in waves. "Nothing about working for you is _normal_," Steve says as he storms out of the room.

"_Steve_!"

"I'm _not_ going!"

:::

Steve sits in his office, remembering. Steve had only been working for Stark Industries little over a month when he went to fetch Tony's dry cleaning, and ran into some trouble. Apparently, kidnapping him and holding him for ransom seemed like a brilliant idea, never mind the fact that Steve didn't think Tony cared enough about him to pay that ransom. The night was humid, streets still wet from a downpour that had lasted most of the day. Steve knew the three would be no match for him, but he never had to lift a finger.

Iron Man had appeared out of no where, disarming the men and apprehending them. Steve froze, he had never encountered Iron Man in his day to day life, and only a handful of times as Captain America. The image took his breath away, the armor was larger then life and appeared more flexible then Steve would have thought. He couldn't believe that Tony had built that, the mans genius knew no bounds. "Thanks," he had said, realizing it sounded odd to be on the opposite side of gratitude.

Iron Man paused. "No problem, just doing my job." Iron Man had ended up sticking around, making sure Steve didn't meet anymore trouble. It was odd, to say the least.

"Why not quit?" Iron Man had asked, staring at Steve as the man worked to get all of Tony's dry cleaning into the back of his vehicle.

"I knew working for Mister Stark had its risks," Steve had informed him, and Iron Man had merely remained silent. "Really."

"He can't be pleasant."

"Didn't he build your armor?"

"Yes, but that doesn't answer my question."

Steve frowns, thinking. "Tony has his own way of doing things, and sometimes those things don't make sense to anyone but him. He always seems so lost in his own head, but that doesn't make him unpleasant. Mister Stark has his own way of showing people he cares. Unfortunately, that tends to be with material things like a new suit or a really expensive watch."

"You don't like that he gives you this things?"

"No, but I think a 'thank you', or 'nice job' would be just as great, even better," Steve says, and he had wondered how odd they must have looked, standing in the middle of the street just talking. "Well, Iron Man, thanks again, but I've got to go," he had announced, holding out his hand.

"It was my pleasure," Iron Man had mentioned, grasping Steve's hand in both of his, pressure firm but not crushing. "If you ever need me, I'll be around."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Steve snaps out of his reverie, torn between doing what he believes to be right, and sticking by Tony's side. The solution he had wanted, had been hoping for, was for Tony to agree with him, at least in some part, and have them meet with Fury and the others. Steve understands where Tony is coming from, S.H.I.E.L.D had put almost as much emphasis on his responsibilities to his country, and its morale as they did to Tony and his suit of armor's potential use to win wars and save lives. Steve had been furious, out of his time, and grieving for those he had lost. Tony, no doubt, was suffering from a severe case of PTSD, shell shock as Steve had always known it, as well as other demons.

Demons he had yet to face.

Steve thinks about how he has a nice apartment in a decent part of the city. He thinks of the neighbors he has come to know, and share conversations with. Tony is a high maintenance, extremely intelligent, self-loathing, egotistical mad man, but he was Steve's high maintenance, extremely intelligent, self-loathing, egotistical mad man. Steve likes Pepper, he didn't like that she hadn't been honest with him...or that she had black mailed him in the first place, but people made mistakes, and she only did what she thought was the right thing. Steve likes the fact that he has options, something he didn't have in the military. When orders were given, he had to follow them. Working for Tony had allowed him to make mistakes, and learn lessons that being the perfect solider wouldn't allow.

Steve's internal battle is waging rampantly as he endeavors to finish his work. A list of important meetings, people to call, and blue prints to sort out. Steve's cellphone rings, and it takes him a moment to answer. "Yeah, Pepper, what do you need?" he asks.

"Is Tony at the office?" she questions.

"No, he should be at the charity event with you," Steve says, frowning.

"Well he's not, and Jarvis says he isn't at home."

"He does this all of the time," Steve reminds her.

"Yes, but he seemed off, more then usual. He got into it with Hammer, again."

"I'll look for him," Steve says, filing the last of his papers away before hanging up.

If Tony didn't want to be found, there was a good possibility that he wouldn't be. Steve decides to go home first, take his notes with him unless they were to be placed into the wrong hands. Steve knows that his apartment isn't too far from here, and so he decides to walk. Steve smiles at his doorman, the teenager with a mop of curls for hair and a long nose always asks why he never uses the elevator, and Steve always tells him that walking was better for his health, and his nerves. Turning down his hallway, Steve stops short of his door when he sees Tony leaning up against it, tie misconstrued and gaze vacant.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Steve questions as he finds his voice.

"You should have gone with me, Steve, you always make me behave," Tony mumbles.

"No, I don't."

"I behave _better_ when you're around. You should see me when you're not there."

"You need to call Pepper, she's worried."

"When isn't she? She'd be better off without me in her life."

"She would never leave you, and you know it," Steve says, offering Tony a hand up.

"You would,"Tony says as he stands to his feet unsteadily, and that just wasn't fair.

"I never said I was leaving you, Tony. Is that why you're here? To have a excuse to act out and blame me? Is this where you push me away, Tony? Because I swear to you, it won't be as easy as you think, and I'm just as stubborn as you are persistent," Steve says, voice stern and unrelenting.

Tony stares at him wearily. The well known billionaire doesn't say a word as he leans forward, kissing Steve. "Tony," he begins.

"It's different, isn't it? I wondered how I could have possibly missed that those lips were yours, but the context was different."

"Tony, please..."

"When I was Iron Man, you needed me. Closing your eyes, never once daring to open them. I knew you could keep my secret."

"Don't. Come on, Tony, let's not talk about this tonight."

"The same goes for you, you know. I needed Captain America. I needed someone to tell me what to do, and I did it, and I loved _every_ minute of it, but I'm not a super hero right now, and you're not a super hero right now," Tony says, and it takes everything Steve has to hold eye contact. "You're my boss. I'm your employee, that isn't even ground," Steve tries to explain, but Tony's thumb tracing the bottom portion of his lip has him distracted. The touch familiar, but completely different.

"I would think Pepper as your boss. I'm just the guy whose name just happens to be on everything."

Steve knows he's acting in a state of desperation as he unlocks the door to his apartment, allowing Tony in, and in more ways then one. Captain America would have more control over a situation like this, he would never allow it to get this far, but Steve is helpless and just _so_ lonely. Tony works deftly to remove Steve's suit, hands only pausing to touch and memorize tantalizing flesh he has only briefly felt before. Steve has Tony's belt off, the other man practically ripping his expensive tux into pieces just to free himself of the material. With nothing else separating them, Steve's body begins to heat up.

They stand chest-to-chest, and Steve can feel the arc reactor driving into him. Tony's hands are everywhere all at once, finally coming to rest on Steve's hips as the blonde tangles one hand into Tony's hair, the other grasping the back of Tony's neck as he brings him in for a searing kiss. Steve can hardly breathe as he feels Tony's arousal pressing up against him, a serge of heat tugging at his insides as he directs them towards his bedroom. The back of Steve's knees hit the edge of his bed, and he stumbles back as Tony crawls over top of him, kissing his way up his midsection, mumbling how beautiful Steve is. Steve can feel himself flush at Tony's endless compliments, spreading his thighs apart as Tony reaches between them, causing Steve to gasp.

"Lube?" Tony inquires, and Steve almost doesn't remember what to say.

"Dresser, top drawer, to the left," Steve breathes, and he groans in disapproval at the loss of contact.

Tony Stark was going to fuck him, and Steve was going to let him. When Tony returns, his eyes are beyond dialated, breathing barely in check. Their mouths seal together, Tony's teeth nipping and biting at Steve's bottom lip. Steve can only moan out his appreciation, thrusting his hips forward as Tony refuses to touch him. "Spread em'," he says, and Steve realizes he means his legs. Steve obliges, head thrown back as he dares not to look.

Tony's fingers are teasing, circling around the sensitive flesh. Steve is about to snap, to demand that he get on with it, when a single digit enters him. Steve's surprise causes him to tense slightly, but soon he is relaxed once again, focused entirely on the man above him. "God," he breaths. "God, God, God," he nearly shouts as Tony adds a second then third finger, fucking him open as he places soft kisses to his bent knees, changing pace until he hits the spot that causes Steve to wail.

Tony smiles as though he's recovered some lost relic, twisting his wrist and driving into Steve in exactly the same spot, causing the other man to ramble under his breath. Steve's body is a absolute wreck, thighs trembling and chest rising and falling quickly. Tony pulls himself away from Steve, ripping open the condom he had acquired before putting it on. There is a brief moment where Tony stares at Steve with a unsure expression, wondering whether to stop, knowing that this would all end in disaster, and Steve can feel it, even agrees with him, but pulls him down for a bruising kiss, deep as Tony breaches his body. Tony licks his way into Steve's mouth as he rests entirely inside of him, Steve's legs wrapped around his waist as he pulls out slowly before pushing in with much more force.

"So beautiful. Oh, God Steve," Tony mumbles as Steve's back arches off of the bed.

Tony is undoubtedly rough in his actions, with only his words to soften them. Steve doesn't mind, not one bit as a thumb digs into his hip, and fingers snake their way across his throat. The teeth that bite down at his shoulder causes him to cry out, beg for more, and Tony delivers, every single time. Steve's hand clutches tightly at his sheets, the other is tangled in Tony's hair as the brunette fucks him senseless. Steve's not sure how much more of this he can take.

Tony pauses, ordering Steve to reposition one of his legs up onto his shoulder. "Yes, Mister Stark," Steve says, voice hoarse, and Tony absolutely stills, eyes shutting tightly closed as a full body shiver encases him from head to toe. Tony kisses the ankle upon his shoulder, the other sliding underneath Steve's ass to lift him higher, moving at a much slower, much more deliberate pace.

Steve bites his lip, a moan tearing its way from his throat as he pleads with Tony to kiss him, practically demands it of him. Tony complies, hand stroking the man beneath him roughly, once, twice, until Steve comes with a suppressed whimper. Steve's insides feel raw, body thoroughly used as Tony continues to fuck him into the mattress, hand still wrapped neatly around his throat. Steve continues to press his hips down as Tony pushes up, groaning as Tony's hips stutter, orgasm taking over him. Tony pulls out, standing to his feet unsteadily as he merely observes him, and Steve has never felt so exposed as he does in this moment. Steve sits up, only to be pressed into the mattress again.

Tony is on top of him, kissing him with a serge of energy that Steve happily reciprocates. Steve is confused; he isn't exactly sure what Tony wants. Steve switches their positions, pinning Tony easily beneath him. The look in his eyes are manic, and Steve lets out a anguished sigh as he dips his head low to swipe his tongue along the hollow of Tony's exposed throat. Steve traces over the arc reactor, causing Tony to attempt to remove his hand. "Stop," Steve commands, eyes peering seriously into his. Tony's eyes darken considerably, but he does as told.

Tony had just become comfortable with the other man being able to see the damn thing, but touching was a new obstacle he had yet to overcome. Steve's fingers dance over the cold piece of technology, a complete contrast to Tony's warm skin. Steve gazes into Tony's eyes, hands linked together as he bends down to place a kiss to the reactor. Tony inhales deeply, chest rising high as Steve continues his exploration. Tony's mouth falls open as Steve tongues the line between a technological advancement, and a man.

"I need to shower," Steve murmurs, and Tony nods.

"Would you like to join me?" he asks, and a small twinge of a smile plays at Tony's lips.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

:::

The next few weeks are considerably painful, cushioned only by the moments they spend together in bed. Steve is undoubtedly hurt as the two still quarrel over their positions in life. Steve believes the pain to be so deeply ingrained and tangled with the fact that he no doubt loves the other man, but Tony won't see reason. Correction: Tony will only see his reason, and feels attacked when Steve suggests something to the contrary. The tug-of-war is getting old, and Steve can sense it beginning to wear him down.

"You know, I never thought that this would get so complicated," Pepper states as the two share morning coffee at a bistro they often frequented when Tony got to be too much. "I never thought you were interested in men, and even if you were, Tony usually frightens more people off then he seduces."

"What exactly are you saying?" Steve questions, uncomfortable with his private life being discussed so nonchalantly in public.

"I thought that even if Tony wanted to use you, that he couldn't, but the more I think about it, the more I doubt he's using you. He likes you. Actually, that might be wrong—too. Tony is happy with the people he _likes_, he only gets this bad when it involves someone he loves."

"Tony doesn't love me, Pepper. He's just afraid I'm going to do something he won't like, and leave him. I'm a _thing_, a possession," Steve argues, and he wants to cry at how bad those words, his own words, tear him apart inside.

"Let me ask you something," Pepper says seriously, quietly as she places a hand over Steve's. "When you two do what it is that you do, does he ever let you top?"

Steve's already flushed cheeks deepen in color. "What does that matter?" he questions, finding this century to be more and more absurd.

"Tony would never submit to someone he just_ likes_, Steve."

Steve, seven hours later, is still perturbed by Pepper's remark. Steve has not left his office since arriving, not even to use the bathroom. Cheryl has paged him twice to make sure that he is okay, and Steve can't remember his last reply exactly, but it was enough for her to remain silent for the last two hours or so. A knock sounds, and Steve is about to tell whoever it is to come back later when he hears, "Why in the hell am I knocking?" Tony opens the door a second later, looking at Steve with a dubious expression.

"Cheryl says you aren't taking any calls."

"I told her I have the Dawson agreement to go over," Steve says.

"Let me rephrase that, Cheryl says you're not taking any calls, including the ones from me," Tony says, arms quirked awkwardly by his side.

"Do you need something, Mister Stark?"

"Mister Stark," Tony repeats, sounding offended. "Mister Stark, really?"

"Tony, what do you _need_?"

Tony looks like he is ready to blow when they both hear Cheryl let out a scream and feel the building shift under them, knocking them each off balance and prompting them both to move. "Mortal, I have no dealings with you!" Loki shouts, and Cheryl clutches her hand over her chest as though it's failing her, and Steve fears that it might.

"Loki, what are you doing here?" Steve questions, pulling Cheryl up out of her seat and carrying her along to his office.

"I demand to know where my brother has gone to, I have words that need sharing with him."

Tony merely gawks, tossing his hands into the air. "Why would _I_ know? Why does everyone think _I_ know? Doesn't anyone know how to use a phone?"

"We don't know where Thor is, is what he means," Steve adds.

"_Loki_!"

"Oh, wait, there he is."

The Avengers emerge, led by Thor himself. "Brother, what is the meaning of this? Why have you gone about destroying this Midgardian city?"

"Because he's Loki?" Spiderman interrupts, a annoyed Wolverine behind him.

"It's a circus. My life is a circus," Tony mumbles, beside himself.

"It's not that bad," Steve tries, but his attempt is completely squashed as Fury rounds the corner.

"Stark, Rogers."

"Who let him in?" Tony yells. "I gave his picture to everyone and everything that could recognize his ugly _face_!"

"Systems are down. Magic, remember?" Hawkeye interrupts.

"I will_ not_ listen to strippers!" Tony says, and Steve feels like he's losing his mind.

Damn Loki. Wait.

"Where are they?" Steve calls out, voice urgent as both Thor and Loki are no where to be seen.

"Not exactly sure, but Thor said something along the lines of 'Why doth thou test me so...thy brother,' or something, and Loki was all like, 'The lady doth protest too much, methinks,' and then they both disappeared," Spiderman explains.

Fury rakes his hand down over his face. "Do you _realize_ how _embarrassing_ you all are to this organization?"

"Except us, right? Because we're not apart of your little_ organization_," Tony says, distastefully.

"About that, Stark. I've been meaning to track you two down."

"Save it."

"Wait, Tony, let's just hear him out," Steve says.

"There's _nothing_ to hear!"

And there it is, Steve thinks, it's their breaking point. Steve can see it, can feel it in they way Tony looks at him. "I don't. I don't agree, Tony," Steve says, and this is the moment he has been dreading. The fall through.

"Then go," Tony says, and it's a dare.

Steve stares seriously at him, his stomach churning. "I am."

:::

Steve doesn't linger as he follows Fury and the others out of the building. Steve had thought a lot about this, and all he could come back to were the people who needed someone to help them in their time of need. Steve had been selfish in taking Tony's help, help he _didn't _really need, but wanted. At any moment, Steve could have fended for himself, fought his own battles, but other people didn't have that chance all of the time. Steve, when it came down to is, chose to do the _right_ thing.

"You're doing the right thing," Fury says, and he makes it sound so evil.

"Look, I don't want to work for you, Fury, but having a league of heroes has always sounded like a good plan."

"That so?"

"If you have more then one hero, you can save lives, lessen damage. I'm more in contact with this time thanks to the help of..., but there is a lot I still need to learn, but helping people is something I've always been good at, and can't ignore."

"Very well, then. S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters will be happy to have you."

"I don't think you heard me—"

"Do you really think Stark is going to let you walk right in? Do you think the two of you are still going to be the best of friends? You can go see for yourself, Cap, but don't hold your breath."

Steve did leave, mind unfocused as he thought about Tony's possible reaction; it couldn't possibly be like Fury had described it. Steve waited until the following morning to head back to Stark Industries. When he arrived to his office, he was surprised to see that his punch in code no longer worked. "Cheryl, do you know what this is?" he asks, and the woman looks over her thick frames with a confused expression.

"We're having a lot of technical difficulties, sweetie, let me buzz you in," she says, and Steve thanks her.

The appreciation is quickly morphed into horror, however, as Steve opens the door to find his things packed away into boxes. Steve suddenly feels like he can't breathe, and inhales deeply. The feeling is overwhelming. "You're trespassing," Tony says, and Steve doesn't even have the energy to reply.

Steve refuses to turn around, to look at him as he asks, "Why?"

"Why?" Tony questions, and suddenly his hands are on Steve's shoulders, turning him around to face him, to look at him. "_Why_ is very simple, Steve. You work for S.H.I.E.L.D now, and S.H.I.E.L.D is _not_ to be trusted around Stark Industries, or me," he bites.

"I work for you," Steve says, voice full of held back emotion.

"Not anymore."

"So all that I've done for you, all that I've done to prove to you that...and you don't trust me?"

Tony looks at him, face blank as he says, "No."

Steve nods his head then. "Fine."

"The only reason I didn't send you your stuff is because I know you have your costume here," Tony says as normal as if he were talking about the weather, "and even I can't override the code to that."

Steve moves to the vault sealed into the wall, punching in his code: 0217, the month and day he had first met him. Steve pulls out the case that holds the key to his transformation as a hero. Steve's hand freezes, afraid to take out the rest, but he does so anyway. He throws the photographs to the floor, each one containing a memory of the life he had set up for himself. The action makes him feel as though he is killing himself, one piece at a time.

When Steve is done, he can hear Tony talking once more. "I don't know how I'm going to fix that thing," he says, and Steve, without any warning or hesitation, puts his fist through the key pad.

"There, you won't have to worry about it," Steve says numbly. Tony doesn't say anything, and Steve is relieved.

"There is nothing in this world that would _ever_ make me distrust you," Steve says, "and the fact that you can do _all_ of this without a second thought makes me think Pepper was right."

"Is that so?" Tony questions, arms crossed and hip resting on the edge of Steve's old desk.

"Yes."

"And what's that?" he asks, face controlled as Steve balances his belongings in his arms.

"That there is no one you _hate _more then yourself."

The last thing Steve hears as he leaves is Cheryl calling out after him. "You poor, sweet, young man."

:::

Steve's quarters are small, cramped and impersonal. Steve, however, refuses to leave them for anything that isn't mandatory. Instead, he sits on his bunk, merely gazing into nothing. A moment doesn't pass where Steve doesn't think of Tony, and it makes him angry, and then it makes him so miserably sad. Steve had taken his frustrations out on the gym equipment, but none had withstood his strength.

Steve figures that if he sits still long enough, and doesn't try to think or to be that he will disappear. That never happens, though, and he suddenly has more disappointment to add to his ever growing list. Steve lays down, tries to sort out his thoughts, but only ends up remembering things he would rather forget.

"I'm not dead?" Tony had said, laughing as he looked around. A so-called business meeting had truly been a death trap meant for the billionaire.

"No, you're not dead."

"Should I be happy or sad about that?" Tony had questioned, suit wrinkled and hair disheveled as he sat on the floor, knees bent up towards his chest.

"You should be glad, a lot of people depend on you," Steve had said, doing his best to sound like Captain America, and not like some PA who had almost lost his boss and sometimes friend.

Tony had snorted at that, and it had made Steve frown in concern. "Do you wish you were dead?"

"Do you work for S.H.I.E.L.D, Cap?"

"I work of my own will."

"An independent, I see. I'll tell you what, Cap, I'll be glad I didn't die this evening because I've just met my childhood hero."

"Not the best answer, I suppose, but I'll take it. It at least means you're trying."

They had sat there, just talking. Steve had never seen Tony so open and honest about himself before. Usually, it was under the guise of Captain America that he got Tony to open up, but there were things he had learned that helped Steve, as himself, to get closer. Now that he thought about it, it all seemed so wrong. Tony had done the same, but it didn't make his actions commendable. If anything, it just made things _that_ much worse.

Steve wondered if this feeling would ever go away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Thoughts of Being Greater Have Fallen Short  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Steve/Tony

**Summary:** Steve gets into work one morning, and finds that his boss has left him a very urgent voice mail, and not one he expects.  
><strong>Universe:<strong> AU.  
><strong>Rating:<strong> NC-17.  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>The destruction of the Marvel time line, I would say.

**Thoughts of Being Greater Have Fallen Short**

**Part II**

Tony's pulse is racing, there is not a object around that hasn't met his wrath. In a second, he has a monitor ripped out and thrown at the adjacent wall of his work shop, shattering to the ground with a heavy thud. It's not enough, he thinks, his rage is not enough. Tony crumbles to the ground out of pure exhaustion, laboring for breath. The door slides open two hours later, he can here it, but doesn't care. He can't care.

"Have you had enough?" Pepper asks, tears in her eyes as she looms over the fallen man.

"Go away, Pep."

"Have you had enough, Tony?" she shouts, cheeks stained red. Tony hated to see her so upset, he hated that he was the cause even more.

Tony wraps his arms around himself, rolling into a half fetal position. Tony's eyes are sealed shut, and he feels bile rise high in his throat. If only his enemies could see him now, so lost and heartbroken, they would have taken everything. Death attempts, decoys, and infiltrations could not take him down, not completely, but losing Steve could. Losing Steve _had _caused him to collapse entirely within himself.

"I'm so tired," he explains, tears stinging at the edges of his eyes, "of losing everything that matters."

Pepper stares down at him, no sympathy to be found. "Then stop throwing them away," she whispers, and it causes Tony to tense and shudder. No one knows just how pathetic he is.

"He doesn't understand what they've tried to do to me!" he shouts.

"And you don't understand what they've tried to do to_ him_," Pepper says, voice thick. She had grown close to Steve, Tony sees. "You don't get it, do you? Steve just wants to help people, he doesn't care about S.H.I.E.L.D or Fury, he only cares about being able to help them, and he wanted to do that _with_ you."

"Then why didn't we? We could have done it together, just the two of us."

Pepper shakes her head. "He wanted to find a middle ground. He wanted to stay here with you, and work with the Avengers, but then you went and fired him! Without my authorization, might I add."

"I don't _need_ your authorization."

"That's right, isn't it Tony? You don't _need_ anyone or anything, and that's why you're down here wallowing, right? Destroying things. Not every extension of your self is evil, Tony, just like not everyone you chose to allow into your life will betray you."

:::

Tony wants to say more, scream some more, but Pepper doesn't give him the chance as she walks away. She leaves him alone with his thoughts, and he can't take them. Tony decides that walking out of his front door with only one shoe, no jacket, and a disheveled everything at nine o'clock at night for ice cream is a brilliant idea. Never mind the fact he has ice cream in his own fridge, and a considerably long walk to find any outside. People on the street avoid him like the plague, probably thinking him drunk or homeless, or possibly both.

Tony doesn't mind, he doesn't mind at all. The business tycoon only wants ice cream and to sulk in his self induced misery. "I can't reach," he hears a small child say as she struggles on her tip toes to reach for a carton of milk.

Tony watches her for a moment, red pigtails swaying from side to side as she attempts to jump higher. "Here," he says, handing the girl the gallon.

"Thanks," she beams, clutching the jug close to her chest in both arms.

"No problem, would you like ice cream? I'm getting cookie dough," Tony asks, and he hopes idly that he doesn't sound as creepy as he thinks he does.

"I don't have the money for that, Mister."

"I'll pay."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course, I'm a super hero, you know."

"Where's you're costume at, then?" she asks, and Tony decides then that he quite likes the child. No one should trust anyone, especially those claiming to help people.

"At home," he answers, smiling. Children weren't usually his strong point, but nothing made sense as of late.

"I'd probably believe you if you weren't missing a shoe," she says, and Tony laughs.

"Men without shoes are not to be trusted, but I'm serious about the ice cream."

Tony walks home, spotting a man on the street with no shoes and no place to go. "I would give you mine,"he says, "but I've only got one, so take this," Tony chimes, handing the man a wad of cash. The homeless man, Beck as he had called himself, looks astonished. Tony just hoped it didn't go to something damaging, like a addiction of some sort.

Tony wonders then how much money he had thrown away on his addictions.

Tony doesn't understand why he did those things, he doesn't feel any better, but it becomes almost like second nature to him. Tony sees the news often enough, sees how the media welcomes Captain America back. Tony can feel his chest ache as he thinks about the possible Personal Assistants Pepper has lined up for him to interview. None of them, he thinks, is good enough. "Nice work, Cheryl," Tony says, and the woman looks startled. "Are you talking to me, sir?"

"I don't see another Cheryl around here."

"Thank you, Mister Stark," she says jubilantly, and Tony feels a twinge of pain strike through him. How long had she been working here? Years, Tony thinks, and not once had he ever expressed gratitude towards her.

"You do great work around here Cheryl, really. I don't know what we'd do without you here."

It simply wasn't enough, he believes, being unselfish and a better person just wasn't enough to dull Steve's absence. He continues to do it, though, a sort of albatross pulled tightly around his neck. "Tony!" Pepper calls. "Tony, turn on, _turn on_ the news!" she shouts, heels clicking hurriedly as she runs.

Tony does as told, and is instantly greeted with a image of a ruined part of the city, including a barber shop. A building Tony knew to be a landmark of one of S.H.I.E.L.D's hidden facilities. Tony feels his heart stop, and immediately stands to his feet. "What's happened?" he demands. "I thought they were suppose to be aboard one of those helicarrier's? Are they?"

Pepper's hand falls over her mouth. "I don't know," she whispers, "but they're saying its bad, whatever has happened...no one they've found is alive. Who else would know they're there?"

"I've got to go."

"No one knows where they are, Tony! They haven't been seen. _Wait_, Tony, it's dangerous!"

Three months Tony had kept his hands clean of anything hero related. Three months since he had donned the armor as Iron Man, and all it took was him to think that Steve could even remotely be in trouble. Tony touches down on the churned Earth, ignoring officials as he enters what's left of the barbershop front. The inside is scorched, and Tony has to rip out a bolted in seat and make his own path down. The hidden layers look much more damaged, insides ready to cave in. There are S.H.I.E.L.D agents strewn across the ground, faces shriveled and red. The dust of death. Tony sees Hawkeye trapped under the rubble, he calls out his name, and the man is barely able to answer. Tony goes to aid him, to ask what is happening when everything lights up and just as quickly goes dark.

:::

"Tony's a neat guy, very smart," Steve says happily as he pops a piece of butterscotch candy into his mouth.

They're sitting on a rooftop, staring out over the city. It's eleven o'clock at night, and it's cold outside, but there's no where else Tony would rather be. This has quickly morphed into a routine for the both of them. "He doesn't give you a hard time?" he questions, and Steve looks at him oddly, and for a terrifying moment, he thinks he's been caught.

"Why do you ask so many questions about him? He might have mistreated you, or you two had some falling out, but he treats me well. I'm more concerned with you, I know nothing about you, pal," Steve says, studying his faceplate, seeking something more then the painted on expression.

"There's nothing to know. I'm just a man in a suit."

"I highly doubt that."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I do. There has to be a reason you wear that thing. There has to be a reason you save people. You're Iron Man for a reason, aren't you?"

"Yes," Tony whispers, though it's not portrayed exactly as he says it.

"Then why do you do you do it? Why do you help people under the guise of Iron Man?"

Tony thinks for a long time, trying to pick the right words, but realizes that there aren't any. "The man I am under all of this...is a very weak and harmful person, Steve. I do what I can to redeem myself, even if no one knows it."

"I doubt that."

"Doubt what?"

"That you're not a good man. You say that like it's permanent fact, like a bad man could never possibly be good. I think you're a good man."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"I'm a good judge of character," Steve says, and his eyes look almost shimmering in the way the streetlights reflect in them.

"Are you?"

"Yes," he says,smiling as his fingers trace over Tony's helmet, leaning forward until his lips press against the metallic cheek of Tony's armor. He wishes he could feel it. "I am."

Tony knows that he is dreaming, and struggles to stay in that state. Tony doesn't want to wake up and lose that peaceful memory. The scene his eyes open to is static and cold, and unsurprisingly grim. Tony's arms are confined above his head as he dangles at least two feet above the ground. The concrete floor was spotted in his blood as well as the blood of others.

Among them, Hawkeye appeared to be the most injured, dangling beside him unconscious with a severe laceration to the side of his head, a dislocated right shoulder, and crushed legs. Tony thinks him being unconscious is a small mercy. "He's that way because of me," he hears Natasha whisper beside him. She looked no better, a deep wound to her left side, "he pushed me out of the way when the wall came down."

"He is the most valiant of warriors, and is to be thought of as such," Thor commends, voice low.

"Wolverine, Spiderman, where are they?" Tony questions, head pounding.

"Don't know."

"The Hulk, Spiderwoman?"

"Don't know, they were above ground when this, whatever_ this_ is, happened."

"Steve?"

Silence.

"_Steve_?" Tony asks, again.

"He went after you, and I don't know if he made it, but you're here, so I don't think he did," Natasha finally answers, and Tony's eyes snap shut, tears forming.

"If I had seen him, I would have...I would have..."

"We know."

Tony strives to keep his breathing under control. He tries to keep all of the horrible,_ plausible_, thoughts away because if Steve wasn't okay, wasn't alive, Tony might as well die now. Tony's life meant nothing without Steve, and he understood this—accepted it. Tony shakes his head, letting out a blood curdling scream. _I've let you down again, Steve_, he thinks.

Tony's screaming must have stirred the Red Skull from wherever he had been stationed, a look of menacing satisfaction as the cosmic cube glows brightly within his hands. Where the hell had he found that? "Where's Captain America?" he questions, disgust in every ounce of his being.

"The Captain should be arriving any minute now," the Red Skull beams.

Tony's stomach churns, he now knows that this is a trap intended for Steve. The Nazi scum was using them as bait, bait they all knew Steve would willingly take. "Even with that cosmic cube, you're nothing," he says, taunting the villain.

"You would think that, wouldn't you?"

"I don't think, I know. It's part of my genius, you know."

Tony is trying to rial him up, distract him. If he is focused on Tony then maybe, just maybe Steve can by some time. Tony knows it is a idiotic plan, he has no clue where Steve is or how long it will take him to infiltrate this place, but pissing all over the Skulls boots sounds appealing.

"I think—" the Red Skull is interrupted as gun fire sounds, and Tony visibly tenses.

Natasha takes a deep breath, and Thor, for the hundredth time it would seem, tries to break free of his restraints. The gunfire is still going on, but slowly the sound starts to trickle, and Tony both appreciates and loathes that knowledge. Steve was closing in. "Which one of you should I kill first?" he hums.

"How about him?" he questions, peering over at the unconscious man.

"I will _murder_ you!" Thor growls.

Natasha's head drops forward, and she visibly trembles. "You're gonna have to kill me before you even _think_ about touching him, he's not yours to kill," and if that isn't a 'I love him' in Natasha speak, Tony doesn't know what is.

"Killing an unconscious man. You really are low on the whole totem pole of life thing, aren't you?"

The Red Skull holds a gun to Tony's head, turning red and shriveling up was a tragedy, but not as much as the thought of losing all of his hair in the process. "Captain America would most be upset by your demise," he says.

"No, not really, but you can give it a shot...literally."

The Red Skull seems ready to take him up on that offer when the doors throw open, and two hunch men are thrown across the room like yesterdays garbage. Steve is breathing hard, eyes full of rage. For the first time, Tony struggles against his restraints, never mind the fact that he knows it won't do him any good. Steve was in danger, Steve was in danger, and Tony couldn't do a thing. Tony calms himself, that was no way to think. "Get ready to have your ass handed to you by Captain America, _again_," Tony says, and he sees Natasha smirk at the same time he hears Thor laugh.

They believed in him.

Steve throws his shield, knocking the gun out of the Red Skulls hand. The gun goes off, and Tony squirms even though he knows it won't hit him. The cube flies into the air, and Natasha kicks it. The damn thing makes a waning sound, and Tony recommends she not do that again. Thor agrees.

Cap's shield is lodged into the wall as he and the Red Skull battle over the cosmic cube. The cube was responding differently then previous ones had. "Something's not right," Tony says, and his gut is blasting bad vibes.

"You think?" Natasha questions.

The Red Skull is able to get his hands on the cube, but Steve is quick in retrieving his shield, aiming it above Thor's head. Thor drops to his feet, letting out a roar as Mjölnir is reunited by his side. He throws the hammer into the ground, Earth jumping as thunder encased them and lighting crackled. Thor cuts them all lose as henchmen flood the room. Tony's barely able to walk, fingers tracing over the wound to the back of his head.

Tony doesn't know how that happened, but brushes that aside as he lifts Hawkeye into his arms. Natasha had snapped the neck of one of the guards, acquiring his gun and providing cover. Tony couldn't do much without his armor, and that was no where to be seen. Thor waged on, but the Red Skull in possession of that cosmic cube was detrimental. A goon goes to aim for Steve, but Tony's quick at shooting the henchman through the knee cap, Steve wasn't too fond of the whole killing people thing, no matter how evil.

Apparently, the man he had stolen the gun from wasn't too thrilled at having been hit over the head with a piece of concrete. The guy had large hands that wrapped easily around Tony's throat, of course he had run out of bullets. Tony tries to toss the man over and away from him, but he is far too weak, the ache in his chest far prominent now as he struggles. The masked figure drops on top of him, and Tony stares blankly as he shoves him to the side. Hawkeye's eyes are glazed over, small caliber in hand as Tony places himself by his side.

"We're gonna get you out of here, promise, Pasties, don't you worry."

"Clint."

"What? Are you delusional?"

"That's my name, Jackass."

"_Oh_."

Tony's about to say something completely in the moment when a explosion happens, and A.I.M appears. "Great," he mutters, shielding his body over Clint's.

"They're here." That is the last thing Tony remembers saying before the Earth began to quake. The last thing he remembers hearing is the Red Skull and Steve screaming before a eerie quiet.

::

Tony awakes hours, days, weeks later in a rundown warehouse. Tony sits up, he is in a wrinkled pinstripe blue dress shirt. Tony's chest plate is recharged, and nothing hurts. Tony notices that it is dark outside and he is, for all he knows, alone. Tony stands wobbly onto his legs, panicking as he tries to find his way out.

Tony has to go down two flights of stairs in the dark and through three doors to get out. Tony blinks slowly, recognizing where he's at. At his lowest of lows, when he had lost everything, Tony had stayed here. Tony's disoriented, but he swears he sees Steve through one of the storefront windows, but as quickly as he is there, he is gone. Tony stumbles till he finds a pay phone, calling Pepper who cries hysterically over the line when Tony announces it's him.

Happy picks him up, but Tony lapses into a uncomfortable sleep before any questions can be asked. When he awakes, Pepper is by his side. Nick Fury is not too far away as well as Thor, Natasha, Clint, Spiderman, and Bruce Banner.

"What's with the welcoming committee?" he questions, unsure what else to say.

"You're the last one to be found," Fury says, and he damn near looks relieved.

"The last one found? Was I lost?"

"We all were," Natasha attempts to explain."Sent back to a time in our lives before waking."

Tony stares down at his clothes, it was the same outfit he had wore day after day, and night after night of being in a drunken stupor. Tony had come to in a location he hadn't been to in years, with a headache that had felt a awful lot like a hangover. "You mean to tell me I've been living five years in the past?"

"For the past seven months, yes," Banner announces. "Spiderman, Wolverine, Spiderwoman, and I were frozen in the present," he adds.

"Thor, Natasha, Clint, and yourself were all rocketed back."

"I woke up at the circus," Clint explains, a deep pain in those eyes. "Took me two weeks to get back ,and I had been gone for a little over a month."

"I, myself, was thrown to the realm of Jotunheim where I awoke cold and nearly frost bitten. When I returned to Midgard, I had been amidst for nearly three months of your time."

"I woke up in Russia, got back and realized I had been gone for five months," says Natasha, face guarded.

"And Steve?"

Pepper's hand squeezes hiss own, and Tony knows that whatever is about to be said is not going to be good. "They don't think he made it," she says, and Tony shakes his head in disbelief.

"If we all made it, then he had to have made it, too."

"When I last saw him, he and the Red Skull were fighting over the cube, but..."

"But what?"

"A.I.M crashed in, but the cube lit up, and Cap was...he was..."

"Disintegrated along with the Red Skull and the cosmic cube," Fury says.

Tony can't believe that, he knows that it's not true. "I saw him," he says, and hates that they all look at him so sympathetically.

"I think we all did," says Spiderman, solemnly.

:::

The next few weeks are spent in utter turmoil. Tony feels so out of touch with everything and everyone, nothing makes sense. Tony spends a lot of time by himself, attempting to avoid any and all mirrors. The depression is overwhelming, and he can't think straight. Nick doesn't hassle him, and Clint even attempts to talk to him about what happened, but Tony can't. Tony's determined that nothing can make this right.

Tony sees Steve everywhere, and he has to wonder if he is going insane or not. Tony has a hard time telling what is real and what is imaginary. Tony closes his medicine cabinet one week day morning, and sees Steve in the mirror, he turns around, ready to embrace the other man, but no one is there. Tony drops to his knees, face in his hands as he sobs for Steve's ghost to leave him alone. Tony regrets that decision immediately and begs him to stay, and to never abandon him.

Tony thinks a lot about dying one night, he just wants the madness to stop. Tony hadn't spoken about what had happened to him, not really, not even with the others who had all been through the same ordeal. The Iron Man armor had been retrieved and returned, and that had surprised Tony. "You can't die," he hears Steve say. "You've come too far to die now."

Tony's face flushes, eyes watering as he shouts, "I know you're not here, Steve, you said the same thing when I had a heart attack!"

Tony opens his eyes to see a faint figure to his left, lying down on his bed and staring at him thoughtfully. "Where are you?" he questions, reaching out for him. Tony can't touch him, but Steve doesn't fad away.

"I_ need_ to find you."

"I'm lost," Steve says, and his voice sounds like running water.

Tony's lip trembles as he tries once again to feel Steve underneath his finger tips. "How can I find you?" he questions, feeling so helpless.

"Don't give up."

"They all think I'm crazy."

"Don't give up, Tony," Steve says, and then disappears.

Tony clutches his pillow tightly to his chest, god help him. Tony laughs, when had he _ever_ helped him? Tony curls himself into a ball, no one, it would seem, believed him. Tony sits up, he would just have to find someone who did. Who did he know that could deal with something like this?"

What was _it _exactly he was dealing with? Magic, physics? Tony had been sidelined into the past, and Spiderman and the others had been frozen in time, so why was it so difficult to believe that Steve was caught somewhere in between? Tony thinks about Reed Richards first, and then he thinks about Dr. Strange. They were both viable options, but which one would listen? Who would believe him, and most importantly, who would help?

:::

"I don't know _why _you're doing this, but I want to go," Clint says, appearing in Tony's kitchen one night.

"How did you even get in here?"

"I have my ways, though you might want to replace your face recognition device...someone put a arrow in it."

"Why are you here?" Tony questions, and Clint stares seriously at him.

"Because I believe you. Spidy wasn't lying when he said that we had _all_ seen him. We did, briefly...he woke us up."

"He woke you up?"

"He told me I had suffered enough. He told Thor that Loki loved him in his own way, and Natasha didn't say much, but it involved Steve being in ballet."

"Then why not say anything?"

Clint looks remorseful. "We all thought we were hallucinating...just thought about how the Skull house had been demolished. No one within ten feet of Cap and the Skull had been left recognizable."

Tony listens to him, and the two discuss possible solutions, deciding that meeting with both Richards and Strange would be their best bet. Tony feels nervous, he could relate to Richards, could understand and follow him. Tony didn't understand Strange or magic, for that matter, and poor Clint, he didn't really follow either, but he was far more brave then Tony was at the moment.

"He's not dead," Tony explains, "just lost."

"Lost where?" Strange questions, expression curious instead of skeptical, and wasn't that a relief.

"In time. I don't know how to explain it, the times I've seen him...he hasn't really been able to tell me, but I think he's stuck."

"You see him?" Reed questions, hand under his chin.

"Yeah. I mean, sometimes."

"What does he look like when he appears?"

"He's almost transparent. Too bright, his voice sounds grainy, like a transmitter on the fritz."

"Do you think he is caught between the present and a streaming time line?"

"It sounds possible, do any of you have memories of being transported into the past?" Strange inquires.

"The only thing I remember is hiding from a large crowd in a tent...and Steve appearing to tell me to wake up. I didn't, I thought it was all a dream until I saw where I was, and what I was dressed in."

"And you?"

"I just remember waking up, like him, I was dressed in the same clothes I had been when I was...when I was at a troubled time in my life. I saw him, though, as I stumbled out of the warehouse, I saw his reflection."

"But he's made contact with you,and you only?"

"I guess."

"Trust me, if you knew the context of their relationship, you would _not_ be surprised," Clint says, and Tony merely glares at the young man.

"A streaming time line is quite...unfortunate. How can we reach him if he's moving about at any given moment?"

Richards looks thoughtful for a moment, which really isn't saying much, Tony thinks, because the man was always in thought. "Tony sees him, is able to interact _with_ him. Steve must be able to hold on to this time period for short bursts."

"But we don't know how long or even _when_ he appears. In order to get a sound hold on him, he would have to stay for at least five minutes or longer."

"What is the longest Steve has been able to communicate with you?"

"Less then three minutes," Tony says with much heartache.

"That won't do," says Strange, face forlorn.

"There's got to be a way to keep him around long enough to bring him back," Clint protests.

Strange remains silent for a moment. "You say you only see him in reflections?"

"Except for that one time, yeah."

"But he is not just lost in time, he is lost in space. Moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space is not simple movement."

"Is this physics or magic, though?" Clint questions, puzzled.

"Do we know how the last cosmic cube came into being?"

"No. I don't know if the Skull made it or stole it...wherever it came from, it wasn't stable."

"What about the cosmic strings?" Richards asks seriously.

"But is he only moving backwards?"

"Okay, so physics doesn't sound promising. You were saying something about reflections, Strange," Tony jumps in, frustrated.

"I might be able to conjure Steve back, but the risk of him returning with a missing limb or two is relatively high."

"A limbless Steve is better then no Steve."

Clint looks horrified. "I don't think _Cap_ would agree!"

"I'll build him new limbs," Tony says, and yeah, that wasn't rational.

The four talk long into the next morning, and it was agreed, Strange would attempt to bring Steve back. Tony tries not to think about the fact he was placing his faith in magic. Tony admits he has a lot of self esteem issues, and standing in the center of a room with over forty mirrors of various sizes wasn't exactly helping. Tony looks up, bright light stinging his eyes.

He hoped this worked.

"Close your eyes, and relax. You need to calm yourself," he hears Strange say.

Tony closes his eyes, but his mind is a jumbled mess. "Think of a time you were most content," Strange says, and Tony laughs, when had he ever been content?

Tony's shoulders slump as he thinks back, finding a moment in time.

:::

"It's like I'm incapable of doing the right thing."

"People make mistakes, Tony, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"Normal people make mistakes, I make...people kill themselves. I make them want to kill me."

Tony felt so bad, and it wasn't often he admitted this to anyone, even himself. Captain America stands beside him as they gaze outside the window, staring out at the city as it lives on through the night. The guilt twists into a ball in his stomach, and he can't rid of that image. "You aren't in charge of other peoples emotions, Tony, and if you feel like you're so bad, why not change?"

"I'm too old to change," Tony bites, but he doesn't mean it.

"You're a lot of things, but too old is not one of them," he says, gaze turning towards Tony. Tony shrugs, feeling uncomfortable by being the center of his idols attention.

"It'll be hard," Tony says.

"Most things are."

Tony smiles, feeling like he's just received a pep talk from a recruiter. This whole thing was odd, standing here, having a full on conversation with a super hero, never mind the fact he secretly was one. Captain America was...well, he was surely something, and no matter how cheesy he could be, he always had the ability to make Tony feel better, and there was a lot that Tony needed to feel better about. "You know, Cap, you're something else," he says, a docile grin to his face.

"You're flattering me," Cap says, smirk to his face.

"Am I? I don't do that too often, even though I should."

"Then why not start?"

"My assistant told me the same thing once."

"Did he?" Cap questions, voice a little off kilter.

"Yeah, and I should listen to him more."

"He's a good guy?"

Tony laughs. "The best. Steve's everything I'm not. Does everything right, treats people well, and he's a god awful liar the two times he's tried. I guess that's what you're raised like when you're Amish. "

Captain America laughs."It sounds like you two balance each other out."

"He balances, I just yell a lot and forget to eat, but Steve...Steve makes everything better," Tony says, realizing how easy it was to talk about the other man when he wasn't around.

Tony looks at his hero with curious blue eyes. "Shouldn't you be out saving the world?"

Steve shrugs. "Shouldn't you be running a business?"

Tony takes a hold of a gloved hand, firm and approving. Tony remembered holding that hand for dear life, hanging off the edge of a building seven stories up. Tony almost doesn't want to let go, wants to remain in the presence of someone who wants him around. The warmth that is left, that curls under his ribs and plays on his nerves is the most content Tony has ever felt. A simple touch of the hand was all it had took.

:::

Tony's eyes snap open, and it feels as though his body is moving through a gel-like substance. Tony gazes into the full length mirror in front of him, and there Steve is, waiting for him. Tony wastes no time in reaching out for him, and Steve doesn't hesitate to follow his lead. Tony pulls, his whole body shaking as he puts his all in to bringing Steve back. Tony falls to the floor, having lost his balance as Steve topples over on top of him.

Tony's hands scramble along Steve's back, and he can feel him. Steve sits up slightly, cowl ripped off as those azure eyes stare down at him, relieved and overwhelmed. Steve's gloved hands trace down Tony's face, and in the back of his mind, Tony's glad to see Steve in possession of all of his limbs. "I'm sorry for putting you through all of this," he cries, leaning down and placing a life taking kiss to Tony's lips.

Tony pulls away, still making sure that Steve is really there. "I'm sorry you've had to know me," he says, laughing through his choked sobs.

The two stand to their feet after a while, but Tony cannot remove his hands from Steve's body, afraid that he might disappear. "Welcome back, Cap," Clint says, Richards and Strange behind him.

"Thank you. Thank you all so much for not giving up on me."

"Wouldn't think about it."

:::

Tony takes Steve back to his home, refusing to share him with anyone. The sun beams in from his window, the weather was unusually hot this time of year, but Tony can't be bothered with that as he runs his fingers through Steve's hair, pulling him in for a kiss. "I want you," he breathes, and Steve groans in approval. "Forever," he adds, and he means it.

Steve pauses, removing Tony's hand from his hip in order to place a kiss to the inside of his palm. "I love you," he says, and Tony feels like his whole world has stopped. Steve was so open and so vulnerable.

"Love you," he says as they resume kissing. Steve is practically undressed, working on Tony's shirt, nearly ripping it. Tony allows himself to be shoved up against the wall, Steve all over him, enveloping him. He couldn't get enough of him.

The smell of him. The way his eyes locked directly on his as he trailed little kisses down his chest towards his abdomen. Tony shudders as he drops to his knees, he had missed this. Tony's fingers lace through Steve's hair as the other man grips his backside, fingers kneading at the flesh there as he moves a teasing tongue over Tony's tip. A unapologetic gasp escapes his lips as Steve takes him into his mouth, quavering in a steady and sound movement.

Tony's heaving for breath, head back against the wall as Steve continues his ministrations, never once breaking eye contact. "Steve," Tony releases, and it's a warning for Steve to stop, that Tony's just about over the edge.

Steve pulls away reluctantly, placing a kiss to Tony's thigh before standing to his feet. Tony is surprised when Steve lifts him, but he wraps his legs around his waist instinctively. Tony doesn't stop kissing and biting at Steve's neck until the other man has them both on the bed. Steve's kissing him, hands roaming along his sides, tracing patterns across the inside of his thighs. Tony reaches for his nightstand, practically shoving the supplies Steve needed at him.

Steve smiles at him, eyes crinkling around the edges as he says, "There's no rush." Tony settles on his back, gazing up at Steve, wondering if the man knew how much he had been tortured through all of this. "I'm not going anywhere," he adds, and Tony can't help but to feel his eyes well up. Steve couldn't promise that, not really.

"Tony," Steve says seriously, and the other man has no choice but to meet his stare. "No matter what happens, or where we end up, I'm not going any where," and as he grabs a hold of his thighs, spreading them apart, Tony can only nod his head, words escaping him.

Steve never teases Tony when he stretches him, he feels a sense of obligation to do it and do it right. That never stops Tony from trembling,though, or thrusting his hips forward when Steve hits that spot dead on, and adds a second and third finger. "Jesus, Steve, get on with it," he murmurs, pulled close to the edge again.

Steve just smiles again, but does as told. Tony lays back, raising his hips slight and twisting his pelvis. The angle would be awkward if he hadn't placed his right leg over Steve's shoulder, placing the other between Steve's legs. Steve gets the hint and positions himself onto his knees, entering at a pace that could be equated to torture; it's so slow. Tony's mouth opens then closes, Steve resting deeply within him.

There was a reason he liked this position so much, and Steve was reminding him with every thrust of his hips. The strength of him holding him down, driving him into the mattress was really all he cared about at the moment, but not more so then just being with him. Steve's kissing him, hasn't really stopped since they started, but they're sloppy, inconsistent with his lack of sufficient oxygen. Tony's not much better, chest heaving as he met Steve's thrust, pre come making things slick as Steve jerks him off. "_Fuck_, just a little more," he groans, short nails digging into the back of Steve's arms.

Steve makes a guttural sound in the back of his throat, and Tony licks his lips that have become suddenly dry as he nearly whimpers, a number of feelings ringing through out his entire body. "Just a little more," he says again, and Steve pulls almost all the way out before snapping his hips forward, any hesitation completely wiped out as Tony screams his name, coming.

Steve's still fucking him open, giving him everything, and Tony can appreciate that now that he's finished. The fact that Steve is willing to give him his all, and Tony's willing to take it. No one, and he means no one, has ever took him like Steve is taking him now, and it's intense, and almost too much. Tony brings Steve down for a kiss, eager to let him know that he's willing to give it all—too. Tony isn't sure whether or not Steve gets it, but he feels like he does, and that's all that matters.

Three hours later Tony is half awake, dancing his fingers over Steve's features. For a long, horrible expanse of time, Tony thought he would never be able to touch Steve again. Tony had apologized in earnest, and he meant every word that came out of his mouth. "You touch everyone when they're sleeping?" Steve asks, a soft touch of humor to his tired voice.

"Only the pretty ones," he says, and Steve laughs.

"I want to tell you something," Tony says, placing a kiss to the other mans collarbone. "I've been thinking a lot about it."

"What's that?" Steve questions, stretching his arm over his head as he lets out a tired yawn. Apparently, crusading through time and space was pretty taxing.

"I'm going to have a sit down with Fury," he admits, and Steve sits up right, fully awake.

"You are?"

"Yeah, but I can't make any promises."

"I, uh, heard you and Fury had history."

"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago. I should probably move on."

"You aren't doing this because of me, are you?"

"In part, yes, but I agree with you. We can do more as a team than individually."

"I'm glad you think so, but I don't want you doing things you don't want to just for me, Tony."

"I'm not doing it _for_ you. I'm doing it to see you in that costume of yours," Tony says with a wink.

"You're incredible."

"Yeah, you said that a lot three hours ago."

Steve shakes his head. "Go to sleep."

:::

The next day, Tony finds himself at S.H.I.E.L.D's temporary new headquarters. Fury sits behind his desk, hands clasped together as he stares skeptically at Tony. Fury wasn't exactly thrilled to have him here, and Tony wasn't exactly thrilled to _be_ here. Tony looks unimpressed, eyebrow quirked. "I don't want to work for you."

Fury takes a deep breath, neck straightening up."Rogers said the same thing."

"I will not stay _here_."

Fury stares at him with a uncaring expression."Okay."

"The others will _not_ be staying here. The last place was cramped, this is just unlivable."

Fury frowns at him. "What?"

"I have a mansion."

"You plan to stash six super heroes in your mansion?"

"There's room. It's equipped, and I have Jarvis."

"Any other demands?"

"Yes," Tony says with a smirk. "I want the highest level of clearance you've got."

"_Absolutely_ not."

"Then I want Hammer assassinated."

"No way."

"Then I want the clearance."

Three hours later.

"Damn it, _Stark_, fine!"

"Hammer gets assassinated?"

"_No_."

"Oh, I get the clearance."

"Not if your don't get out of my line of sight within the next three seconds!"

Tony stands up, a wave of his hand as he moves towards the door. "This was real nice, Fury, we should do it again sometime!" he says, making a run for it down the hall.

In the distance he can hear a loud, "_Fuck you_, Stark!"

:::

"I can't believe you were able to do all of this," Steve says astounded. He joins Tony in his work shop after a training session out in the field, one Tony had refused to attend. Dressed as Captain America, he sits down atop of Tony's work bench. Tony grins lopsidedly, wondering if Steve knew just how distracting he could be. Steve could make old prudes take off their undergarments and throw them at him in declaration of their love for this country.

The Avengers were settling in nicely now that they had more room to do as they pleased. Clint could practice his archery without being interrupted, or accidentally shooting someone who came in at the wrong time. Thor could study more about how Midgardian's lived on a day to day basis. Bruce could experiment without anyone destroying his data. Natasha could hide wherever she damn well pleased, and Logan didn't have to be within a ten mile radius of where Peter was.

Truly, it was working out for the best.

"Please, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's making people do what I want, one way or another," he says, setting his wrench down as all hope of working flies out the window. He idly wonders how much convincing he would have to do in order to get Steve to move to the cot, or lay down, back flat against the surface of his work bench.

"Pepper looked a little stressed the last time I saw her, she okay?"

"Might have something to do with the fact she set up twenty interviews for my new PA, and I barely spent two seconds with each of them before saying no, and telling them to get out."

"So, whatever happened to that last personal assistant of ours? Steve or something," he questions, voice taking on Captain America as Tony holds back a chuckle.

"I did everything I didn't want to do, but knew I would do, and fired him over something completely ridiculous," Tony says, not making eye contact. That decision still haunted him. "Did you apologize?"

"For everything."

"Then why not just rehire him?"

"He has this other job that takes up a lot of his time," Tony says, and both men laugh.

"I'm sure he can multitask," Cap says, and Tony hums in agreement, reaching for the hero. "Maybe he can. Thanks Cap, you always know how to fix things," he proclaims, faked wonderment in his voice.

"Just doing my job, Mister Stark," Steve admits, never breaking his alter egos character as he tilts his head to the side, leaning forward before kissing the other man.

:::

Steve is on the phone with the latest company interested in merging with Stark Industries when Tony appears in his office, a large cat-like grin to his face. "What are you doing?" Steve questions, and Tony just moves closer towards him. Tony had been a good boy through his nine o'clock meeting today. He hadn't fallen asleep, thrown anything, and had limited his insults to just two.

"Mister Stark," Steve warns as Tony rolls his chair back and away from his desk. "Tony, no," he adds, but his resistance is futile.

Tony has Steve's phone in his hands."Sorry, but I'm having a heart attack at the moment, and Steve needs to get me to the hospital before I die, and all your money goes to waste," he says before hanging up.

"You're just a terrible human being," Steve muses, tilting his head back to look up at him. There's no real malice there, though, so Tony believes he's gotten away with it.

Tony smiles, leaning down to kiss him while he can. "I want to go out tonight," he says, breaking away only to resume lower at Steve's jaw and neck. Tony really likes this suit of his, and the way it highlights the golden hue of his skin.

"Where to?" Steve questions, and Tony's about to tell him when their communicators go off.

"Captain America and Iron Man here, what's the situation?" Steve asks seriously, and Tony's face falls, it figured.

"Yikes, hope I wasn't interrupting," Spiderman calls out over the intercom. "I mean, I can call back..."

"_Peter_," they warn in unison.

"Fine, Loki's back. Doesn't seem to be causing trouble, but Fury wants us around just in case his love fest with Thor turns into a love, destroy everything on planet Earth, fest."

"We'll be there."

"Can you bring pizza on the way, I'm really hungry."

"What? We're not stopping for pizza," Tony says.

"You promised the last time that you would, but you never did, and you hurt my feelings, and made me look so uncool in front of Deadpool."

"Oh, my God, we'll get you some. Shut up," Tony snaps.

"Tony, don't yell at him. That's not nice."

"Not nice? He's guilt tripping us into getting pizza for him!"

"Thank you," Peter shouts, signing off.

The two arrive later then planned, and Loki is gone by the time they get there with the pizza. The whole group indulges as they stand around, making plans to watch a movie. Steve pauses, "Hey, Tony, when I got you from Vegas you said _stripper's_ had stolen everything. Who was the other one?" he questions, the thought finally returning to him, and Tony coughs loudly as Thor waves happily at him.

"Twas me, Captain!"

"You should have seen him," Hawkeye laughs, "he really knows how to work a leotard."

Steve stares at Tony who only stares up at the ceiling. "You have no shame, do you?"

:::

"Really think it was necessary to send them to that mess? Loki's only looking for Thor's attention, he's no threat," Pepper says, eying Fury out of the corner of her eye as they watch the two men leave. Fury had shown up, something about a business proposal, and she was regretting letting the man in.

"They'll deal with it, they're super heroes," Fury says, smiling self satisfied. The man had more layers to him then first suspected.

"They really give you that _much_ trouble?"

"No, not anymore. Not since they're back together again. You should be happy," Fury says as Pepper turns to head back to her office. She stops, turns back around and looks at him.

"Why's that?" she questions.

"We've won."

"Won? Won what, exactly?"

"Steve's got Tony. Tony's got Steve. You've got peace of mind and a functioning corporation. And I, I think I've won the most of all," he says, meeting her gaze.

"And why's that?" she questions, putting her hand on her hip.

"I've got Captain America and Iron Man working on the same team."

Pepper laughs. "I'll give you that one, but you better not say anything to them about that."

Fury looks out the window again, laughing. "I might be a real hard ass, Miss Potts. I might even be a old fool at times, but I'm not suicidal."

:::

"Tony, wake up," Steve mumbles, kissing along his ear. Tony grumbles something incoherently and attempts to go back to sleep. "Tony, really, we need to be getting ready for work."

Tony rolls over, pinning Steve underneath him as he nips at the skin of Steve's neck and chest. "Tony, stop," Steve says, even though he's rolling his hips forward, half hard.

"I can't," Tony mumbles, coughing into the bend of his arm. "I'm sick."

Steve shakes his head, attempting to kiss Tony but he pulls away from him. "My breath stinks," he says, and Steve laughs before forcing his lips on his.

"You're right, it does," Steve teases him, and Tony punches him in the arm playfully.

"If it's really going to bother you, go brush your teeth," Steve says, and Tony does. They fight over the sink, Steve with his blue tooth brush and Tony with his red.

"Where were we?" Tony murmurs, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist and standing on his tiptoes to nuzzle his neck.

"Getting dressed for work," Steve says, and he can feel Tony scolding him.

"That doesn't sound like sex or even fun, for that matter," Tony protests, hands sliding down Steve's bare stomach, slipping towards the waistband of his slacks.

"We can't be late again," Steve protests, laying flat against the bed as Tony crawls over top of him.

"At least call Pepper, Tony," Steve groans as Tony slides his pants down below his knees.

"She'll figure it out, sooner or later," Tony argues as Steve's boxers meet the fate of his pants on the floor.

"She hates us, you know?"

"No, no. She loves us, she hates that she _can't_ watch."

:::

Before Steve met Tony.

"You think there will ever be a day we won't be needed?" Captain America questions, sitting side by side with Iron Man on a bench in Central Park.

"You've been doing this a lot longer then me, Cap, I think you would be more equipped to answer that question," Iron Man says, throwing bread at the ducks that litter around them.

"I don't think so. I think as long as there are villains, there will be super heroes."

"Is that such a bad thing? If there are villains, there should be heroes to deal with them."

"It's bad if you want a personal life," Cap admits, thinking seriously. Iron Man looks at him, he had only known Captain America a few months now, but he sounded serious.

"You can always retire, or give your name over," he says, meaning to help.

"You really believe that?" Cap questions, laughing.

"No."

"Didn't think so."

"Well, why don't you have a personal life? What's stopping you?"

"A lot of things."

"I have a life outside of all of this. It's not perfect, but it's doable. You've just have to find something to live for outside of all of this," Iron Man says, and his honesty is lifting. "Life's not so black and white, Cap. That would make things easy, but if you feel like you're drowning in this, then you've got to pull yourself out."

"You tellin' me to get a life, Shellhead?"

"Yeah, I'm tellin' you to get a life, Cap."

Captain America stares out at the pond in front of them, thinking about what Iron Man has just said. He smiles. "You know what? I think I just might."

"Good luck, I heard Stark Industries is hiring."


End file.
